1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the treatment of hiccoughs and, more particularly, to a cup-like hiccough treatment appliance having a tongue-depressor formation for engaging and depressing the tongue of a person drinking liquid from the container.
2. Prior Art
A hiccough is a sudden intake of air resulting from a spasmodic movement of the diaphragm, the large powerful, dome-shaped muscle at the base of the chest cavity that contracts and relaxes like a bellows in a gentle and rhythmic manner as a person breathes. The loud "hic" sound which accompanies hiccoughs results from a sudden closing of the epiglottis over the larynx as the diaphragm pulls a burst of air into the lungs through the larynx. As the epiglottis closes, the vocal cords which flank the larynx are caused to move, thereby generating the "hic" sound.
Hiccough spasms may occur several times a minute. The attack itself may last for several hours and, in some cases for several days. People have been known to die from exhaustion due to hiccoughs.
While a number of theories have postulated as to the cause of hiccoughs, it is believed that this annoying phenonema is not fully understood by anyone. Hiccoughs can apparently be instigated by a transient disturbance of the phrenic nerves which regulate the movement of the diaphragm, and by other causes which may vary considerably. Why hiccoughs stop once they have started seems to be as much a mystery as their cause.
A great many time-honored folk remedies have been proposed to treat hiccoughs, but most are found to be relatively unreliable. Proposed remedies include holding one's breath, drinking a glass of water without stopping, swallowing crushed ice, gargling, breathing into a paper bag, sucking half a lemon covered with sugar, and having one startle the victim.
Still another proposal which has been tried by some persons with a degree of success requires the careful manipulation of a cup and spoon during drinking of water from the cup. In accordance with this proposal, a spoon having an elongate handle is inserted into a cup or other small drinking container such that the handle of the spoon projects above the rim of the container a distance of about an inch. The victim of hiccoughs is then required to insert one or more fingers into the container to hold the spoon firmly against the side wall of the container while, at the same time, drinking several ounces of water from the container. If performed properly, and if the container and the spoon happen to have the proper mating configurations to properly position the handle of the spoon, the spoon handle will serve to depress the tip of the victim's tongue as he drinks water from the cup or glass.
A problem with the latter proposal is that the spoon and container selected for use may not provide the required type of tongue depression action and may, therefore, be entirely ineffective. Still another problem relates to the difficulty the victim encounters in trying to manipulate his hand to hold a spoon in proper position inside the container and with sufficient force to enable the spoon handle to function in a tongue depression capacity while, at the same time, drinking water from the container. Children and the infirm, in particular, have difficulty in effecting this feat. Inasmuch as most persons do not acquire hiccoughs very often, even those who understand the required procedure seldom become very proficient at it. Many people, particularly children, find the proposed remedy entirely too difficult to understand, much less carry out.
A further problem with the cup-and-spoon proposal is that, with many victims, the depression or restraining force applied to the tip of the tongue needs to be greater when the cup is tipped the most, i.e., during the latter part of the treatment procedure wherein the cup is being emptied. Since it is this time that the opening available between the rim of the cup and the victim's face is most restricted, it is exactly this time that the victim is most likely to lose control of the spoon or to apply insufficient force to the spoon, thereby destroying the effectiveness of the procedure.
In view of the widely acknowledged unreliability of previously proposed hiccough treatments, proposals for treating hiccoughs have come to be regarded with about the same dignity afforded proposals for perpetual motion machinery. Many people remain quite convinced that no effective treatment exists and that none will ever be found.